Electrical heating device



Nov. 6, 1956 D. F. COLLINS ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVQCE Filed May 4, 1953 [IVE Viv? Don A10 F Cozu/vs mm AIJUANI'YS United States Patent ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVICE Donald F. Collins, Grand Rapids, Minn.

Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,718

1 Claim. (Cl. 21946) This invention relates to an electrical heating device and more particularly to a multiple use therapeutic heating pad.

It is a general object of the invention to provide for a heating pad which has a combination of special configuration with closure means such that the pad may be used for thermal treatment of a variety of parts of the human body while maintaining natural positioning and heat transferring contact thereagainst.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide for a physiotherapy heating pad which may be opened to flat conventional position for general usage, to an intermediate or partially opened position for encompassing angular areas of the body such as bent knees and elbows, and to a final position with the closure fully employed for encompassing an extremity such as the hand or foot.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for an economical and efficient device of the class described which can be easily adjusted to a variety of purposes by simple manipulation of a self-contained closure.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the electrical heating device in open and flat condition taken from the side showing the internal area thereof. Portions of the surface area are broken away to show the internal structure of the heating pad;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the to the elbow of a user, the c being partially closed; and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the heating device with the continuous closure means completely raised to form a boot for encasing the foot of the user.

Referring'now more particularly to the drawing, my device is an electrical heating pad having a pair of opposed fiexible surfaces such as at the inside and 11 at the outside thereof, the material from which they are made being preferably cloth or other flexible material which will resist to some degree the temperatures normally used in heating pad devices. The heating pad has the usual inner liner 12 and electrical insulation layer 13 at each side of a serpentine circuit of high resistance elements 14 which in turn are connected to electrical leads 15 terminating in an electrical plug 16 suitable for con nection with a source of electric power. A heat control means 17 may be interposed in the circuit so as to provide different degrees of temperature to the outer surfaces 1% and 11 in the heating pad.

The configuration of the heating pad is such that the pad constitutes a generally flat elongated area 18 shown in Fig. l, with a laterally extending second flat area 19 formed medially thereof. The central fold line 20 is formed transversely and centrally of the fiat areas 18 and heating pad when applied ontinuous fastening means 19 about which the heating pad may be folded with the opposed edges in coincident relation as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be noted that the pad when flattened out as shown in Fig. 1 may also be considered as comprising a pair of generally L-shaped areas each having an upright portion and a base portion extending laterally therefrom with the upright portions being connected at their outer edges in fold line 20 and with the respective base portions extending outwardly in opposed directions.

As depicted in Fig. l, a continuous closure, having cooperating par-ts 21 to the left of fold line 20 and 22 to the right of fold line 20, continues from the central fold line 20 respectively along the base 23 of the left side and base 24 on the right side. At the outer ends of the L-shaped areas, the continuous closure members 21 and 22 continue upwardly along the outer edges 25 on the left side and 26 on the right side, then continue inwardly along the respective edges 27 at the left and 28 at the right to terminate at an upper end 29 on the left and 30 to the right as shown. The continuous closure is preferably of the zipper type having the usual wedge-shaped slide fastener 31 which is adapted to bring the separate zipper halves together in a continuous manner. Further fastening means may be employed so as to increase the versatility of the heating pad. The further fastening means preferably constitutes cooperating hook or snap fasteners 3233 adjacent the corresponding edges 27 and 28, cooperating fasteners 34-35 are positioned at a point of curvature between the outer edges 27 and 35 to the left and 28 and 37 to the right. A still further cooperating fastener 38-39 may be positioned adjacent the point of juncture of the edges 36 and 40 to the left and 37 and 41 to the right.

In the use and operation of my therapeutic heating device, I may employ the pad in its flattened and open condition as shown in Fig. 1 in the normal and conventional manner. Since the closure members are all closel allied with the edge structure of the pad and have no sharp protuberances or abutments of a nature such as would cause discomforture, I can successfully employ the pad in the above noted conventional manner. The plug 16 is placed in an ordinary electrical outlet such as a wall receptacle (not shown) and the heat control 17 is likewise employed in the usual manner.

Now, however, when it becomes desirable to use a heating pad on such portion of the body as a bent elbow or knee, the slide fastener 31 is joined with the continuous cooperating fasteners 21 and 22 in the conventional manner having first placed the beginning extension 43 on the fastener 22 into the slide fastener 31. The slide fastener 31 is then advanced along the lower coincident edges 23 and 24 until it attains the position shown in Fig. 2. T he fastening means 3233, 3435 and 383) are then secured together so as to bring into closed relation the coincident outer edges 27 and 28 as Well as 36 and 37. When thus formed about the elbow of a user as shown by dotted line configuration in Fig. 2, the upper edges 40 and 41 will maintain an opening through the heating pad and the outer edges 25 and 26 will likewise form therewith another opening at right angles thereto which will comfortably encompass the arm at the elbow or the leg at the knee so that heat may be applied on all areas surrounding the joint.

When it is desired to use the therapeutic heating device at the outer extremity of a limb such as over the foot, the continuous closure is continued from the position shown in Fig. 2 by sliding upwardly the fastener 31 until it reaches the uppermost end position at the terminals 29-39. It is understood, of course, that the continuous fastener could be extended upwardly along the edges 36 and 37 but since additional fastening means 3435 and 38-39 are supplied the dual fastening need not he con- 3 tinued above the point shown. It is, of course, preferred that the snap fastening elements 3435 and 3839 be closed to effect the maximum contact around the lower extremity as shown in Fig. 3.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel multiuse therapeutic heating device which not only may be used in the conventional flattened manner but also may be employed to encompass an intermediate joint such as an elbow or further to encompass an extremity such as the foot, the novel configuration in cooperation with the fastening means serving to accomplish the purpose aforesaid.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

A therapeutic heating device comprising an electrically heated unitary insulating pad having overlapping opposed surfaces with an electrical heating element therebetween for supplying warmth outwardly through the surfaces, said pad constituting a pair of general L-shaped areas each having an upright portion and a base portion extending laterally therefrom, said upright portions being connected at their back edges in a fold line and with the respective base portions extending outwardly in opposed directions, and cooperating zipper closures extending from adjacent said fold line along the lower peripheral margin of said base portions, then extending upwardly and inwardly along the upper peripheral margin of said base portions then upwardly along the adjoining edge or said upright portions to terminate at the upper edge thereof, whereby the device may be folded along said fold line with said L-shaped areas in overlapping relation and said zipper closure fastened to form an encasing boot for warming the hands or feet and when the device is unfolded forms a fiat pad for use as a conventional warming pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,206 Charles Apr. 18, 1911 1,568,757 McIntyre Jan. 5, 1926 1,860,420 Johnson May 31, 1932 2,298,299 Joy et al -4 Oct. 13, 1942 2,339,409 Joy et al. Jan. 18, 1944 2,494,987 Chaitin Jan. 17, 1950 2,617,916 Neidnig Nov. 11, 1952 

